


The Last Express

by Sieggy



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Orient Express, Switzerland, Trains, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:27:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28603683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sieggy/pseuds/Sieggy
Summary: The date was August 1939. Tension was rising high within Europe from the ongoing threat of a Second World War.A couple named Authur and Enzo boarded the Arlberg Orient Express to Switzerland in order to escape the incoming political turmoil and start a new life in Zurich, Switzerland. This is their story.Written by: https://twitter.com/SieggyEsperantoStory Commissioned by Nate Jericho#2301 @discord





	The Last Express

It was a hot summer day in Basel, the quaint town that should be bustling with activities in peak season. Yet unlike the ones before it, the usual excitement and jubilant atmosphere which surrounded the town this time of year has been replaced with an ominous air of apprehension looming over the resident’s heads as they go about their daily lives.

A steam locomotive rested upon the train station, it’s engine hummed a low but steady voice to remind everyone of its existence. There were a few heads shuffling in and out of the train which had only increased with each passing hour.

My gaze flickered away from the pedestrians and landed on the face of the clock tower which had just struck at six, the train’s schedule had been completely derailed.

The double cabin I was in was heated like a fireplace on a winter’s night. It did not bother me, for I was used to such treacherous conditions, but the same cannot be said for the other passengers in my cabin.

“What’s holding them back? At this rate, we won’t reach Zurich until dark…” A familiar voice whispered from behind me, agitation was clear in his voice.

“Mm.” I replied back stoically as I kept gazing out of the window, but the voice behind me did not stop airing his worries to me.

“Don’t tell me they’ve already closed the borders? You don’t think they’ll turn us back?”

“Mm.” I mumbled out another noncommittal response, but this time I placed my hand on his quad legs to calm him down.

“Uncle Enzo! Can we go out yet!” A clear voice of a boy rang from behind the both of us which made the man behind me turn his head back to address him.

“Not yet, little Gabrielle. Have patience.”

“You’ve said that for the last hour!”

“Yeah!” Another voice similar to the boy came from behind him. No longer able to tolerate the two boys, the man turned back towards me.

“Simmer down, boys! Arthur Dear, say something!”

“Hm?”

Upon the mention of my name, I turned back to face my family. A young Brittany dog was looking back at me expectantly. Enzo’s puppy eyes along with his tri-colored coating gave him a charm I could never resist. Without thinking, I raised my hand that was on his leg to gently cup his right cheek before giving him a reassuring smile as I addressed the scamps behind him.

“Your uncle is as tired as you are, so play nice. Look, Elsie is behaving.”

I turned towards the little pup with a tri-colored coating much like Enzo’s, which contrasted well with her pink sunday hat. Elsie was sitting between me and Enzo, pouting her cheeks as she jumped down onto the floor of the carriage and sent them a side-eyed glance.

“That’s because she’s a girl!” The boy protested and once he did, the smaller one next to him followed suit.

“Yeah! She’d rather have mom pedicure her than go to the playground!”

“Boys, behave.”

I narrowed my eyes to intimidate them into silence, but it failed to work, for I have done so twice in the last hour alone. I pinched the bridge of my snout to hold back my irritation, yet as their complaints continued to mount up I found my patience running thin.

“Enough!” I shouted atop their little voices which was effective in stopping them.

"You’ll soon no longer be boys, so mind your manners and stop agreeing with everything your brother says, Danielle! If your mother did not have it in her to discipline you two, then I will !”

“...Uncle Authur sucks.”

“...Yeah.”

The boys grumbled in protest, but they obediently settled down. I turned back towards the window and soon enough, the train started moving again. I could not help but crevice my mouth into a smile as I heard the children cheering from behind me.

“Oh, thank God.” Enzo breathed out in relief as I gave out a chuckle.

"What did I tell you? Don’t worry, Enzo. We’re going to make it, our new life begins now.” I gently grabbed onto Enzo’s shoulders and pulled him to my side.

The train was coated in darkness as we entered a tunnel and the light fixture behind us dimly illuminated the window. In it, a young grey-coated English Wolf with deep blue irises was staring back at me. His musculature has slightly diminished from all the desk work these past years, but his large frame and the scars which hid underneath his fur are a good reminder of his old days of harsh physical labor.

Before I knew it, Enzo had crept up closer to nuzzle up my neck. The mirror image of the young Brittany smiling has made me respond in kind as I wordlessly scritched on his ear. Slowly, I reached down towards his chin and pulled him up to meet with my eyes. His hazel pupils were looking back at me affectionately, as if he was hypnotized by my own pair. Enzo placed his hands on my chest as he leaned in even closer, pressing himself against my chest. He opened his mouth and I too, responded in kind.

I closed my eyes to feel the heat emanating from Enzo’s lips onto mine. Our tongues began to intertwine as I greedily tried to devour his, using my hand to push his head ever closer to my own.

The tranquil moment was short lived, however, for there was a loud and rude knocking on the door. The boys sped to the knob faster than we could react, I barely managed to untangle ourselves just in time before the conductor entered the cabin. 

“...Your tickets, Sirs.”

If the man had noticed our little affectionate exchanges, then he did not comment upon it. After he punched our tickets, I had made sure to slip him a pound both to express my gratefulness for his professionalism and to make sure his mouth is sealed. Still, the mood has been ruined, I breathed out a sigh and looked down towards Gabrielle and Danielle who were looking at me expectantly.

“Can we go now, Uncle Authur?”

“Ah. Yeah.” I replied listlessly as the boys started running out before I could finish. “Just don’t bother the other passengers too much, alright?!”

As I sent the boys away, I still noticed that Elsie went back to sit in another corner of the cabin.

“What’s wrong, Elsie?” I asked her as I tilted my head. “Don’t you want to go explore?”

“I don’t want to.”

“...We’re stuck in the train for the rest of the day, Elsie. You should find something to do.”

Instead of responding to me, Elsie opted to turn her head away instead. I scratched my head and let out a sigh, unsure of what to do. That was when I saw Enzo come to sit next to her.

“What’s on your mind?” Enzo asked her gently as he placed his hands on her shoulder. “Uncle Enzo will be here to listen.”

Enzo’s pleading was only met with silence, but he did not yield in his attempt to have her open up.

“I promise I won’t laugh. Will you tell me what’s wrong, little Elsie?”

“I miss my mommy.” The words that came out of her mouth made me flinched.

“I miss daddy.” My eyes narrowed down and I felt my heart weighing me down as I see Elsie squeezing the doll in her arms.

“Why can’t mommy and daddy come with us, Uncle Enzo?”

If she was to shoot that at me, I would not be able to come up with a reply. Enzo however, answered her immediately almost like he knew the question was coming. He gave her a reassuring smile as he slowly pet the top of her head.

“Dad has work in France and mom stayed behind to look after him. You remembered how much of a mess dad was when mom isn’t here for him, right?”

“Mm. But why can’t we stay with them?”

“This trip was in fact planned by your parents, but sadly they couldn’t make it. So they asked both me and Authur to come in their stead and take care of you all for a few months. You wouldn’t want to waste the tickets, right?”

“Mhmm. Yeah.” Elsie replied with some hesitance in her voice, after mulling over it a bit she finally let loose her question. “Will I see them again before New Years?

“I’m sure they’ll be here before you know it.” Enzo beamed back a smile at her.

“Promise?”

“...Yes. Now off you go, little Elsie. I’m sure you’ll feel less lonely once you make some new friends.”

“...Okay, Uncle Enzo.”

Elsie was still looking reluctant, but much to my delight, she had budged from her seat. The girl picked up the doll by its hand while she placed her other hand on her hat to keep it steady as Enzo opened the door to the carriage for her. Once she was finally out, Enzo locked the door and sat besides me, sighing heavily as he looked up to the roof above.

“You did well, honey” I praised him as I once again placed my hand over his shoulder.

“I feel terrible. Having to lie to little Elsie like that.” Enzo confessed to me as he leaned his head to rest on my chest. I instinctually wrapped my arms around him in an embrace as I gently rocked us back and forth.

“We can’t just tell her the truth either. Their parents paid for all their tickets to Switzerland and we barely have enough to cover ourselves. Let’s pray they make enough to come here before the war begins.”

“Ah, it’s not that, Dear. The problem wasn’t money.”

“Hm? Why hasn’t your sister joined us then?”

“Her husband was conscripted. I wanted to convince her escape from France, to come with us to Switzerland. But when I saw her face… I just couldn’t say it.”

“Why’s that?”

“...Authur Dear, you can be so thick headed sometimes.”

“What are you trying to say, honey?”

“Let us speak of this another time, dear. I feel quite drained after dealing with the kids.”

Saying up to here, Enzo looked away from me and tightly clenched his hand on his chest. He does it whenever he’s anxious. I was still curious, but I decided to respect Enzo’s wish and stayed silent on the matter.

Light beamed in again from the window, which turned our attention away from ourselves. I squinted my eyes from the blinding light and once I became accustomed to the light again, I was taken away by what I had seen.

The fresh green prairie covering countless kilometres ahead of me and unlike France, it was still unfettered by man. At the horizon I could see the Jura Mountains spanning in parallel to the train as far as my eyes could see. Spruce and Ash trees littered the mountains meeting with the golden sun, its celestial weight strung above the clear blue sky with no cloud in sight. The rays reflecting off the branches from the Rhine river gave the terrain a glittering, orange hue.

“Maybe the war won’t happen.” I say as I pulled him into a tight embrace, my eyes casted into the distant scenery ahead of us. “No one would want a repeat of World War One, would they?”

“But what if it _does_ happen?”

“They’ll make it. No, I’m sure they’ll be just fine. Your sister’s even more capable than me. We don’t have to worry about them.” I reassured Enzo as I closed my eyes and lightly brushed his head.

“Mhmm.”

If Enzo had doubts, then he did not voice them. Just like what he did for Elsie, I had done it the same thing for Enzo. A slight feeling of guilt pierced my heart but I forcefully swallowed it down. The two of us spent our time wordlessly watching the beautiful landscape off the window for a little while longer.

* * *

It was only until a long while later that we left our compartment. The train was moving and it was still the daytime, so I was not worried about any dangers befalling them. Enzo insisted that we find them however and I did not have the heart to argue, so we took off in search of the kids.

It was only several carriages later did we find Danielle and Gabrielle. Both of them had some light bruises and scratches that they attempted to hide, but under the stern gaze of Enzo they both quickly came clean on what had happened.

"They won’t tell us where Mister Poirot is!” Gabrielle voiced his frustrations which was immediately followed by his younger brother.

“Yeah! Everyone knows he solves mysteries on the Orient Express!”

I turned my exasperated face to make eye contact with Enzo while he tried putting up a smile as if to tell me not to go too hard on the kids.

“Look, kids.” I sighed and scratched my head, reluctant in dealing with these pain in the rear. “It is not right to bring in violence in any situation, we’re all refined men and women, not savages who club over the head of anyone they disagree with. Let’s go find them again, we’re going to have you two properly apologize for your thuggery.”

“But we need to find Mister Poirot!” Protested Gabrielle in a loud, obnoxious voice. I stopped myself short from growling at them as Enzo quickly covered me.

“Listen to what Uncle Authur says.” Enzo smiled sweetly at them as he bent down to gently rub their heads. “Poirot is on the Simplon route, not the Arlberg route. Besides, he is a busy man, so don’t go looking for him.”

“Aww...” Danielle’s ears flopped down in disappointment as Enzo chuckled and tried to console him.

“Even if the detective is not present, I’m sure me and Uncle Authur can help you, right dear?”

I merely raised an eyebrow back at Enzo's question, not sure what where he was going with it.

“ _Right_?” Enzo asked me again in an even sweeter voice.

“...Right.” I pursed my lips as I strained out a reply. I still was not sure what was going on, but I felt it was better to go along with it. Hearing my reply, Enzo turned back to address the runts without missing a beat.

“Okay, little Gabrielle. Tell us, what did you want to ask the detective?” Enzo’s inquiry made them turn to each other. It was a second later that they asked us something we did not expect.

“Uncle Enzo, what’s a ‘Confirmed Bachelor’?”

The hand I used to scratch my head stopped its movement as my eyes went wide in surprise as I glared down at Gabrielle. It was the last question I expected to hear from the kid. Enzo similarly became stiff by what he said, but he quickly collected himself.

“W-Where did you two heard that from?” Enzo tried asking him as calmly as he could, but I could clearly feel the worry behind his voice.

“The couple next to our cabin asked if we knew Uncle Enzo and Uncle Authur were confirmed bachelors when they saw us. They said to tell them if we feel uncomfortable around you.” Danielle answered innocently. “They did not tell us what they meant, so we were finding Poirot to help give us an answer.”

“ _Those slimy bastards_ …”

I subconsciously balled my fist in anger and let out a low threatening growl, displaying my deadly set of white pearly fangs for all to see. My fur stood on its end as rage narrowed my vision down towards the cabin next to me, but before I could start sprinting, a hand had reached out onto my wrist and clung tightly to me, preventing me from darting into the couple’s room. I looked back to see Enzo staring intensely at me. I tried to yank my hand away, but he was firm and unyielding.

“Let go.” I said.

“No, you’re not going anywhere.” 

“They’ve insulted you, Enzo. These people can only understand by force. I’m going to _make_ them accept us.”

“Look at yourself, Authur!”

With his other hand, Enzo grabbed me by the collar and yanked me to face the train’s window. The translucent window made the landscape overlaid with my image, but in it, I could clearly see the pearly white set of fangs on display and my sharp, claws protruding from my hands. Then the rest came into view, I could see my fur standing up giving my already tall height an even more menacing posture. My pupils had shrunk down to the size of pins as if I was about to pounce and tear into the throat of an unsuspecting prey. It was the definition of a savage.

“I don’t care about them! What I do care about is _you_!” Enzo yanked my collar with both of his hands and stared straight into my eyes. In it, I felt anger and an undeniable degree of fear. “Don’t lose yourself over something as trivial as this, Authur!”

Anger fueled my words which crawled its way up to my throat, but I silently ate it all back into me. I was not about to shout at Enzo. Unable to look at him in the eyes, I turned my head away only to meet with the fearful pairs of the boys behind him. Both Gabrielle and Danielle cowered behind Enzo as if I was a predator who was about to prey on them. I was reminded of the words I said to them just a short while ago.

“ _Authur, you idiot._ ” I thought to myself. “ _You’re about to get your happy ever after ending, stop giving into your temper._ ”

“Sorry.”

I said quietly as I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths to calm myself. I am no longer a single man, free to brawl things out at the back of a tavern. Enzo and three little lives are relying on me, I can lose myself drunk in rage no longer.

“Sorry, kids. I’ll practice what I preach.” I turned back to Enzo and forced out a smile.

“Sorry, honey. I promise it won’t happen again.”

“You better.” Enzo furrowed his brows as he adjusted my suit. He does not seem entirely convinced, but he let it slide to which I was grateful for.

* * *

We spoke no more on the matter and after I had sufficiently calmed down, we proceeded to continue looking for Elsie. She proved herself even more elusive than the boys, but we eventually found her in the restaurant car. Apparently, she had hit it off pretty well with a fox girl her age. My larger frame forced me to carefully navigate my way through the chairs filled with people, my eyes landed upon the lavish outfit her entire family was wearing and was about to pull her away, but Enzo quickly stopped me.

“There you are, Elsie. We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“I’m sorry, Uncle Enzo.”

“Please forgive her, it was late and we did not wish to leave a young lady alone, so I suggested she wait for you two in the restaurant car.”

“That’s quite alright. Is it fine if we sit next to you?” 

“Oh! It would be our pleasure! We could always use more company.”

The lady fox smiled pleasantly at Enzo. I was about to groan out in protest, but Enzo’s disparaging stare my way made me shut my mouth and obediently sit next to them. 

“I’m Enzo and this is Authur. The older boy is Garbielle and the younger one is Danielle. You should be well-acquainted with Elsie by now. We’re on our way to Zurich.”

“Oh yes! No one her age could keep up with my dear Louise, but this little sweetheart here managed to talk her down for a good hour! We’re stopping at Zurich as well. Our new home would be towards the East in Zürichberg. You simply _must_ drop by sometime in the future.”

“We would love too, madame. I’m sure they’ll get along well.” Enzo laughed lightly and gave her a bright smile that could melt the coldest glacier. He too must be glad to find connections in town so quickly, much to my chagrin.

“I shall look forward to it. You two must’ve been proud to have such a bright daughter.”

“We’re not her parents.”

“What Authur meant was that we’re looking after Elsie and the other two boys for my sister.” Enzo followed up after me rather quickly, perhaps my approach was too blunt for him.

“Oh? Where would her mother be, I wonder? I would love to invite her for supper along with us.” The female fox asked curiously upon the touchy subject we want to avoid. Enzo took sometime to think before hesitantly replying to her.

“...I’m sorry, but she couldn’t make it. She’s staying back in France with her husband while we help take care of the kids.”

“Oh my.” Exclaimed the lady fox as she held her hand up to her mouth to hide her shock. Unlike the kids, she knew what it meant if their parents could not come.

“Poor boys. It must’ve been so cruel…”

“What do you mean, miss?”

Danielle innocently inquired about her statement, not aware of the landmine he was walking towards. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat and hoped that Enzo could try to veer us away from this dangerous topic. A savior did come but it was not by Enzo however, for the male fox finally took his eyes off the newspaper and addressed the situation.

“That’s enough about that.”

“But the kids needs to-”

“Still your tongue, woman. His sister had entrusted the kids to them, so let us not overstep our boundaries.”

The male fox took off his monocle and glared at his wife straight in the eyes. The female fox pouted back at him, but she ultimately gave in to his wish. Enzo tossed an appreciative nod at the man and he gave a curt nod back in understanding at him.

* * *

"I’ve heard from the vineyards that Krauss-Maffei, MAN SE and Voith have collaborated to make the first diesel-hydraulic locomotive called the V 140. The German State Railway claimed that it was satisfied with its performance. Fossil fuel was indeed the answer to the future even to trains, it seems. I fear this will give the edge to the Axis Powers when the war begins.”

“The Arlberg-Orient de-luxe still uses coal, but I’m sure they’ll adapt to this new market soon. That means that coals won’t be in demand anymore, isn’t that good, Authur?”

“Mhmm.”

Not caring much about the conversation, I absent-mindedly replied while gnawing on the meat of a lobster’s pincer. The fox mother was chatting away with the scamps while me, Enzo and their husband were holding another conversation. Enzo lightly kicked me under the table to force a proper reply out of me. I groaned out in protest before giving out a reply.

“It’s not, Enzo. While the street urchins and labourers won’t be forced into the mines, coal is still Britain's major trade. They would not be able to put food on the table once the coal industry gives way. Britain will be left with these displaced miners who can no longer put their skills to use and idle hands are the devil’s workshop.”

“But Authur, you managed to land an office job!”

“That was only thanks to my brother, Enzo. He recommended me over the rest, otherwise I would still be down in the shafts.”

“Oh…”

Enzo’s ears flopped as he looked pensively downwards to the floor. I gave a playful snort in return before lightly patting him in the back to reassure him that things were alright. Enzo did not know the first thing about blue-collar workers, but I always loved how much he cares for us when the rest did not.

“I hope everything was to your liking ladies and gentlemen.”

“It most definitely was!” The female fox shouted happily at the arrival of the elderly chef, apparently enthusiastic about her meal. “I’ve never imagined tasting something so exquisite here of all places!”

“It was alright.”

“What he meant to say was that it was a great meal.” Enzo followed up after me. “He usually nags me if the food wasn’t palatable but this time I heard no complaints.”

“Hahaha! I’m glad to hear it, Sirs! This batch was preserved for quite a while, I’m happy that you all found it to your liking!” 

“Indeed, it had lost some of its taste compared to when I sampled them back in America.”

The chef’s expression froze as he stiffly turned his head towards the male fox, nervously smiling back at his stern gaze. The man politely wiped his already clean mouth with the napkin before continuing his feedback.

“A lobster newburg, trout in aspic, a turkey, pineapple cake with maraschino cherries and chiffon cake. By itself, they are fine dishes, but all the ingredients for them are from the New World. Tell me, chef, is this the prestige Arlberg Orient Express, or is the Orient Express run by backwater hicks from the Chicago Railways?”

“Pardon me, Sir. But the meals are decided by me, the chef. I hardly see the need to limit myself to European cuisine and your opinion matters not.”

“Which shows that you do not take your job seriously. I am well acquainted with the owner of the Orient Express, shall I give them some feedback for this meal?”

“Erm…” The chef tugged on his collar as he squeaked out a smile. “W-Well… you see…” Not willing to see him hung dry, I decided to step into the matter.

“Leave him alone, fox. The quality of this dinner has shown us the dexterity of the chef, it matters not where its ingredients originated from.”

“The meal is the face of the chef and he in turn, represents his establishment. It is natural to chasten him for his mistakes, for his carelessness can damage the brand of his employment.”

“All you bourgeoises care about are your faces isn’t it? You never look down to the little man who has to bear the brunt of your weight. I’m not about to allow you to publically draw and quarter this man in front of me!”

I ignored Enzo’s disapproving look besides me as I growled angrily at the fox. The fox in turn looked back at me disinterestedly like he has had his fair share in dealing with disgruntled workers. The chef looked between us and hurriedly chimed in before things escalated.

“Hahahaha! I must thank you for coming to my defense, but what Sir said was also true. Therefore, I wish to tell my reason as to why I chose this cuisine, with Sir’s permission of course.”

“Very well.” The male fox responded curtly before looking towards his wife. “Could you take Louise to tour the place? She had always wanted to see the head of the train, I’ve already arranged it with the Conductor.”

“And I wouldn’t mind it if the rest of the children go along with them. It’ll be a learning experience.”

The male fox looked at Enzo meaningfully, which made the Brittany nod back at him before turning to me.

“Then I shall take up your offer. Authur, I’ll be out with the kids for a while. Please do not forget your promise with me.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I tossed out a response at Enzo. He looked back at me unimpressed for a few seconds before the kids diverted his attention.

“But I wanted to eat some more!” Protested Danielle, which made Enzo pat his head and calmly responded to him.

“Then we shall buy some treats from the trolley later.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah, I promise. Now let us go, little Danielle.”

A cute little smile bloomed on Danielle’s face like the radiant sun. Enzo gathered the kids along with the female fox as he tossed another look at me. I smiled and nodded back at him, for I knew what he was thinking. After the kids left the train car, the male fox eyed back at the chef and elderly man finally started talking. 

“Just as you have surmised, I was born and raised in the city by the lake in the country of stars and stripes. Like many prospecting men before me, I embarked to Europe to serve my country in the war to end all wars.”

“It was during my travels to the country of tulips that I’ve found the love of my life. I’ve decided to forsake my motherland for hers so we could be together. It has been a few years since she has departed this world and our kids were more than capable of taking care of themselves, so I took on something that would take me to new places and meet new people.”

Speaking up to this point, the chef laughed out again as he scratched his head meekly.

“All that’s coming to an end, through. Peace’s not gonna last and I reckoned this will be the last time I get to board the Orient Express.”

“I don’t have a lick enough to import all these ingredients, so I’ve made it under the company’s budget. I know it is not right, but this selfish wish is my last chance to taste something from America. Y’know, something to remind me of home.”

The elderly chef sheepishly rang out in laughter after he blatantly confessed his crime. I turned my head towards the male fox, expecting him to shout out in anger and halfway to the telegram to report the chef to his establishment. To my surprise, he merely sat there and rolled his eyes downwards pensively towards the floor.

“Tell me, chef.” The fox said, his eyes still glued towards the floor. “Do you miss home?”

“As much as a salmon swims upstream, in my old age, I miss home.”

The fox leaned his back on the chair and rested his eyes, seemingly digesting the man’s words. It was a short while later that he opened them back up and continued the conversation.

“Tell me, chef. What are your plans after this train stops?”

“I honestly have no idea, my good Sir. With the Great Depression and all, I’ve been living by paycheck to paycheck. My kids are all struggling themselves and I don’t really want to bother them. Perhaps I could find someone kind enough to hire these old bones of mine when the train stops at Athens. Hopefully I can scrounge up enough to meet my siblings one more time.”

The fox went silent again before pulling out a roll of cheque slip from inside his suit. With one swift motion, the fox instantly signed and dotted the slip with a pen I had failed to notice before handling it towards the chef. Upon reading its content, the elderly man’s eyes bulged out in surprise as his hands which held the cheque began trembling.

“That should be enough to cover your flight to Chicago and enough for a few years of expenses there. I would recommend taking the Ellinikon Airport immediately after arriving in Athens.”

“S-s-s-s-sir… this is too much…”

“True, the meal was rather out of place but as the other gentlemen have said, I too, view your culinary skill quite favorably. Think of this as my tip for your honesty, a man of your skills will be more appreciated there.”

“B-But I can’t just-”

“You do miss home, don’t you, yankee?” The fox eyed the chef with a soul piercing glare which made the chef flinched. “The war won’t wait for you, if you truly wish to find your family in America, then grab on to this opportunity.”

The chef pursed his lips as he fidgeted his fingers around the ticket home that was resting within the palm of his hands. He slowly took off his toque and bowed in front of the fox.

“Thank you… thank you so much…”

Tears of gratitude that welled from his eyes streamed down his face, conjoining with the ones coming from his nose and mouth as he no longer cared in keeping up appearances, but to express his pure and unfiltered sincerity for the man in front of him.

“What?”

My ears perked up in surprise as I heard a unison of loud clapping and cheering coming from all directions around me. All the other passengers were facing towards us, congratulating the elderly chef and complimenting the male fox for his Samaritan spirit. My eyebrows furrowed as the realization of why he put on such a display sets into me.

" _He used us!_ "

All this time, the fox's attention was not directed towards me who yelled at him nor the chef whom I assumed was his target, but the audience who were keeping watch of us. The most important commodity an upper crust cannot buy is his reputation.

There would surely be other passengers here who will stop at Zurich, he has magnificently put his good name out there for himself even before arriving. Anger flared up within my heart, but I could not voice out my frustrations at him for he already has the hearts and minds of the people to his side.

* * *

It has been a while since the whole charade was over. All the other passengers have left the dining car and back into their cabin. Rays of light streaks from the window basking the dining car in its warm orange hue. I turned my head around to observe the prairie, its grass swaying with the wind and its distance stretching as far as my eyes could see. The threat of another World War seemed so far away from this peaceful land.

“It is a shame we could not pass over Lausanne. Northwestern Switzerland is indeed a sight to behold, but it cannot match the view from the Swiss Alps.”

“Mhmm.”

“...I wonder if the kids are having fun. This might be the last time the Arlberg-Orient de-luxe will be open for us civilians. Once the train returns to Calais, I’m certain it’ll be confiscated for war efforts and subsequently demolished.”

“Mm.”

Both the fox and I were still waiting at the table for the children to finish their rounds. The fox tried to strike up a conversation, but I was determined not to engage with him and only gave out grunts in response whilst meticulously stabbing my spoon into the martini glass in order to avoid the passion fruits.

“Does everything have to be a competition to you?” With the fox’s patience running thin, he finally went straight to the point at me. I scoffed before answering back at him.

“You’re the one who was throwing money around to show off your prestige, fox.” I replied back nonchalantly as I waved the spoon in his direction, much to his dismay.

“Might I remind you that you’re the one who caused the ruckus and drew attention to us. Think of it as payback.”

“You were harassing the chef.”

“I’m inclined to disagree, but that’s not the matter here isn’t it. You already have your own preconceived notion of us socialites.”

“Here I thought I’ve been subtle about it.” I sarcastically replied to him and took another helping of dessert as the fox sighed in return.

“Leaving your poor attempts at humor aside, I wonder why you could tolerate that fellow Enzo? Is it because of that special connection you two seemed to share?”

“...What do you mean?” My eyes opened wide and I turned all my attention towards the fox, it was not a topic I could afford to ignore.

“What, you thought you were being covert? I’ve seen whores in the brothel more clandestine than you two these past few days.”

“I asked you what you meant! Are you threatening me?!”

Anger started boiling within me once more and stood up before I slammed my fist on the table, spilling the dishes off of their contents.

“Hmph.”

As if anticipating it, the fox had held on to his cup of tea before my hand impacted the table. He slowly pressed his lips to the edge of the cup and helped himself to another glup of tea before addressing me.

“What can I earn from blackmailing a proletariat? And if I wanted to snuff your future, I could have informed the border inspectors back in Basel about you two.”

“We are men who have abandoned our home in its time of need. The words that define the both of us aren't proletariat nor is it bourgeois.”

“We are _traitors_. Both to our predecessors before us and to our home country.”

“I care not for your affair with the more pleasant gentleman nor do I care about your upbringing. We are both civilized men on board a train looking forward to a better future, not savages who try to snub the other with petty words.”

“If that’s true, why did you bother pulling those stunts then?”

“To protect my future, what else?” The fox closed his eyes absentmindedly as he took another mouthful of tea. “There’s only one thing I want from you.”

“...What is it?” I arched my back on the table and looked intently at him, my height easily towering his.

“Your friendship.”

“...What?!”

An uncanny voice that was not mine came from my lips as I replied in disbelief. The fox continued as if he could not read the undertone of my voice.

“Louise got along with the kids, that is why I want to form a friendship with you.”

“Poppycock, what’s the kids got to do with us?”

“If I have poor relations with her friend’s new father, then Louise will be sad. That is all.”

“...I fail to understand.”

“It’s simple, Authur.” The fox took another delicate sip before continuing. “My Louise is a bright child, but she has always had trouble finding someone her age that is as smart as her.”

”Your Elsie could become that person, don’t you want our children to be of equal standing?”

I furrowed my brows as an answer to his question.

“I am not asking you to let go of all of whatever baggage you carry. We do not have to completely accept one another to come to a mutual understanding. You must’ve spent a fortune to board the Orient Express to flee to Switzerland, no? I can recommend you to a friend of mine, if you can make Louise happy. For our children’s future, let’s try to get along.”

“...Easy for someone like you to say.”

The fox held his head up and finished his tea before slamming it down onto the table.

“Your family’s future or your pride. If you can accept my deal then sit. Now _choose_.”

A carrot and stick approach. I felt like I was being treated like cattle. I had a mind to just ditch the man and go look for Enzo, but his offer could mean the world to the kids. Enzo would never forgive me for messing this up. I swallowed my pride and with a heavy heart, I lowered myself down onto the chair.

“See? That wasn’t so hard was it?” The fox chuckled and spoke to him in a slightly amused tone while I replied to him through my teeth.

“I’m doing this for the kids.”

“So am I. That is good enough for me.” The fox gave a courteous smile back at my grumpy face. I did not respond.

We sat there silently for a while longer which gave me time to retrospect. Normally, I would have pounced on him and fed him back his words with my fists, but this time was different.

“ _Was it because I made a promise with Enzo?_ ”

I subconsciously made eye contact with the fox who gave a light smile back at me. I snorted and quickly turned my head away. I did not want to admit it, but it was not me who managed to reign in my emotions. I was led by the fox’s pace from beginning to end. Thanks to him, I kept my promise and secured a brighter outlook for our new home, yet what followed it was a bitter feeling of being used by a bourgeois.

That sour feeling soon faded as Enzo came in from the train’s door. He and the lady fox seemed to be getting along well with how much they’re gossipping. The boys were teasing Louise, but it was not to the extent she became uncomfortable so none of us spoke up.

“Authur, how was the talk? Have you smoothen things out with him?”

I let loose a smile at Enzo as he finally turned his attention towards me. His face was worn out from the days of being confined in a train and his steps were somewhat wobbling from all the walking no matter how hard he tried to hide it. It matters not to me, for he will always look as handsome as the first time I laid my eyes on him.

“Mhmm.”

Without warning, I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his flat belly.

“A-Authur!”

Enzo looked around the compartment in panic. The female fox was holding her hand to her mouth to hide her shock and I can imagine the male fox was giving him a self-satisfied grin back at Enzo. He tried to gently push me off of him, but upon noticing how unyielding my arms were, Enzo stopped and placed his around my shoulder and rubbed my back hair as if to console me.

“I miss you, Enzo.” I spoke frankly, which made Enzo’s ears turn scarlet. He gave me a warm smile before replying to me with that ever soothing voice of his.

“It’s only been an hour, silly.”

The scent of cedar wood hits my snout and I closed my eyes to better appreciate this fuzzy feeling that was burning within me.

“I’m tired, honey. Let’s go back.”

* * *

The sun had already set when we said our goodbyes to the fox couple Enzo briefly wondered if they would keep the secret, but I reassured him that there was no problem. Elsie still wanted to talk with their daughter and was feeling down, but Enzo promising that they could meet up again tomorrow had cheered her up. 

There were only a sparse amount of people left jaywalking around the place, I assumed rest must be preparing for their arrival to Zurich. Perhaps it was because our goal was so close, or because of our hug earlier, I still felt daredevil. I grabbed ahold of Enzo’s hand and squeezed it. The darkness did well to conceal our sin away from the prying eyes of the God-fearing passerbys. 

“H-Hey! Authur~”

Enzo protested playfully, but he did not recede his hand away from me. Even for the briefest of moments, we could hold hands in public with no one to scrutinize us. It almost felt like we were a normal couple. A familiar sense of happiness welled up from within me while Enzo too, did his best from tearing up.

With the children’s insistence, we picked up a couple more refreshments from the trolley, but by the time we finished bagging our luggage, they were already snoring on the berth.

“And they yelled at me to buy those expensive Twinkies… Well, more for me.”

Without further ado, I unwrapped the kids’ portion and ate through them one by one. I gave myself a self-satisfied face as there were none left by the time I was through. I could not wait to see the look on their faces when they woke up.

“Authur Dear. Don’t act like a child, we’re parents now.”

Enzo tried to chid me, but his insuppressible giggling made it a fool’s errand. I smiled and pulled Enzo over next to me. The Brittany did not say much but leaned on me and nuzzled my neck as I looked outward into the land blanket by night beyond us. I had a weird sense of deja vu and reflexively turned back to look at the door.

“Hm? What is it, Dear?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. By the way honey, the girl’s father promised me that he’ll help us put down roots once we get to Zurich.”

“That’s great!” Enzo’s face brightened up by the good news and his ears perked up in joy. He gave me a smooch to my cheek before continuing.

“I knew I could believe in you!”

“More like he knew how to deal with me…” I mumbled out while avoiding his eyes.

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“Nevermind that. Anyways, he hasn’t mentioned anything about his job offer, but looking at how he threw money around, I don’t think it would be too shabby. Worst case scenario, I’ll just become someone’s farmhand and work back these muscles. Haha!” I laughed loudly and slapped my biceps. They had diminished over the years, but they were big enough for people to assume he was still a labourer.

“Mhmm. And I’ll make sure little Garbielle and Danielle learn proper manners by the time you get home.”

Enzo rubbed his greedy hands all over my chest, cupping my sturdy pecs before slowly trailing his hands down to my six pack. The thick scent of Enzo’s pheromone was all over the air. It only took me a whiff before my expression changed and my grip on Enzo subconsciously tightened itself. I lowered my hands past his wagging tail before responding in kind by grabbing a handful of his round and supple buttocks.

Enzo let out a little sexy wince as I gave those round cheeks a firm squeeze which only encouraged me further. I lifted Enzo by his buttocks and placed him on my lap, my tenting pants rubbing up and down between his rear with only a few thin layers of fabrics dividing the two of us apart.

“I’ve worked hard tonight, don’t you think I deserve some reward? Hm?” 

“What do you have in mind?” Enzo asked me innocently as he gave me a seductive smile.

Our eyes met to convey an understanding of our mutual desires. I could no longer restrain myself and grabbed him by the back of his head and pushed him right into my eager lip. Our tongues wrestled each other for dominance and soon enough, Enzo gave in. I reached my tongue as deep as I could into Enzo’s mouth and my hands slipped into his trousers before kneading his buttcheeks in anticipation.

“Mm… Ah… Mhmm… Oh, Authur.”

Enzo pulled his head back and looked straight into my eyes, the string of saliva made from our love stretched between us and dripped down on our clothes. Enzo could no longer support his own weight and his lovely figure melted onto my chest.

His head lowered down submissively and his half focused eyes peeked up towards mines, as if begging me to take control of him. My mouth curved up into a toothy smile from ear to ear as I clutched down on my eager prey’s buttocks even harder.

“A-Ah!”

“What do you want, Enzo?”

“A-Authur…” Enzo drooling from the side of his lips as he tried to reply to me. I gave his neck a good lick before asking him again, this time more of a command than a question.

“Tell me what you need.”

“A-Authur… I need you, Authur…”

“Where do you need it?” I whispered softly into his scarlet ear.

“Me… Authur, please, put it inside me... Ah!” Enzo flinched as I nibbled on his ear.

“Good boy. I’m going to make you so full of my pups.”

I licked my lips in anticipation as Enzo slowly unbuttoned my pants, letting my strained member sprung free from my trousers with only a thin fabric of my boxers hiding it from the world.

With the meaty pole he so loves to worship right in front of him, Enzo could not help but drool again. I chuckled in satisfaction as I admired his eyes that were entranced by what I could offer him. Enzo gave my fat member a squeeze with both his hands while I dug mines underneath his underwear, gently tracing my meaty digits against his sensitive rear entrance, making Enzo shudder in delight.

Our eyes met and without uttering a single word, we knew we were ready. Enzo’s hand trailed up to pull down my boxers while two of my fingers arched itself, ready to penetrate inside of him. Suddenly before either of us could do so, an unexpected voice halted us in our tracks.

“Mommy?”

Me and Enzo froze in our tracks, our eyes open wide in panic.

“E-Elsie?”

I hesitantly called out to the owner of the voice, dozens of thoughts flew past me making me dizzy as I rapidly thought of an excuse of why my pole was about to fly free and my hands were at Enzo’s rear. Those thoughts were unneeded however, for when I turned my head towards the little Brittany, she was still fast asleep.

“Haaaa…”

Enzo sighed out in great relief as I too felt myself relaxing again after being so tense.

“Authur, l-let’s continue later, alright?” Enzo hesitantly shot a reasonable request at me and I had no choice but to give him an equally regretful reply.

“Oh… Yeah.”

I avoided eye contact as I stuffed my hard and unloved member back down into my trousers and straightened out my suit. I could still feel my blue balls groaning out in protest from not being used which made me shift myself uncomfortably in my seat. I try to take my attention away from it by peering out of the window and into the black wilderness outside. 

“Mommy…”

Enzo had finished readjusting their blankets before Elsie’s little voice rang again. This time I could barely hear her beneath the boy’s snoring. Enzo smiled lovingly at her and gently stroked her small head.

“I’ve heard Zurich is a beautiful place filled with nice people. I pray the kids like it there.”

“I’m sure they will, Enzo. Now come here.”

The Brittany obediently sat next to me and together, we stared out silently into the firmament beyond that was littered with countless tiny stars dotting the night sky. It was only a few minutes later that we began to see dark outlines blocking the view of the heavens, our destination was just in sight.

“Do you think we’ll be okay?”

From out of the blue, Enzo asked me what was on his mind and I replied back with confidence.

“The future is up to us, we will make it work.”

I placed my hand on top of his and together, we sat there basking in the tranquil silence. It was a far cry from the passionate exchange we had just earlier, but I surprisingly found this moment much more romantic. Without knowing it, my mouth has curved up into a slight smile which made Enzo smile as well. 

“I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Took a break from writing Adastra fic to write this original piece. If you are curious about it, you can find it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24808813?view_full_work=true
> 
> Compared to political thrillers, I found it a lot harder to write down slice of life stories but it was good experience. With this work done, I am back to writing my Adastra story. Don't be afraid to leave your thoughts and thank you for reading!


End file.
